A cycle direction control which pivotally couples each of the opposed ends of an axle to a corresponding one each of a pair of members which operate in directionally opposed linear travel to control direction of an annular member which rotates about the axle.
Conventional cycles typically provide a front fork having two blades to which the opposed ends of an axle are fixedly coupled proximate to the lower ends. The upper ends of the two blades are each connected to a fork crown from which the steerer upwardly projects. The steerer passes through a head tube of the cycle frame and can be made rotationally responsive to a handlebar. Rotation of the handlebar generates rotation of the steerer inside the head tube and in turn generates travel of the two blades in a circular travel path. Travel of the two blades in the circular travel path variably locates each of the opposed ends of the axle fixedly coupled to lower ends of the two blades. Variable location of the axle ends by travel of the two blades in the circular travel path allows direction control of an annular member which rotates about the axle between the two blades.
While there is a large commercial market for cycles which utilize the conventional steering assembly above-described and while a variety of improvements to this conventional steering assembly have been made over the past one-hundred years, long felt but unresolved problems remain with respect to the above-described conventional steering assembly.
A significant problem with conventional cycle steering assemblies can be that directional control of the annular member requires the cycle operator to engage the grips of a handlebar connected to a steerer which is rotationally coupled to the head tube of the cycle frame. This constraint can limit the useful range of locations in which the grips of the handlebar can be established for use by the cycle operator. This limitation as to the location of the grips of the handlebar of conventional cycle steering assemblies can preclude construction forms of the cycle frame which places the grips at a more advantageous location along the frame of the cycle.
A related problem with conventional cycle steering assemblies can be that operation of the handlebar grips about the axis of the steerer requires a portion of the upper body of the cycle operator to travel in conformance to the travel of the handlebar grips in the respective arcuate travel paths. This can involve rotation of the upper body proximate to the waist as well as forward extension of a first shoulder and arm and backward contraction of the second shoulder and arm. All of which can requires additional coordination of the cycle operator as opposed to simple linear motion of the grip forward and backward which would correspondingly limit travel of the upper body and arms of the cycle operator.
Another significant problem with conventional cycle steering assemblies can be that forces transferred from the support surface to the annular member rotating between the pair of blades is directed primarily to the head tube of the cycle. Because these operational forces are not disseminated across a larger portion of the cycle frame the crown, steerer, and head tube each must be configured with sufficient strength to receive these operational forces. Configuring the crown, steerer, and head tube to receive these undisseminated operational forces can add a significant amount of weight to the cycle.
Embodiments of the cycle direction control invention described herein addresses each of these problems.